How is Comstock Park schools working with York Creek Apartments which houses 600 of its students?

York Creek ApartmentsYork Creek Apartments in Comstock Park provides two, two-bedroom apartments so area organizations can provide positive programs for its students attending Comstock Park Public Schools and Kenowa Hills.

COMSTOCK PARK, MI – Multiple organizations have stepped forward to provide positive programs for students who live in York Creek Apartments, during the summer and academic school year.

The educational, life skills and social programs are taught in two apartments at the complex - one for middle and high school and the other for elementary kids. The first was made available in 2007 and the second three years ago in response to demand.

Approximately 600 of Comstock Park Public Schools' 2,300 students - a quarter of its student body - live in York Creek Apartments, which is owned by Land and Company and located at 650 York Creek Drive. At last count, around 200 attended Kenowa Hills Public Schools and those students are also involved in the programs.

“The school district and Comstock Park community saw there was a need there,” said Missi McPherson, educational support services coordinator for Comstock Park Public Schools. “It’s a great program. We are fortunate York Creek was willing to donate the two-bedroom apartments.”

There are 40 children, primarily middle school age, involved in the summer program, Monday through Thursday, 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meghan Aupperlee, a prevention program coordinator with Wedgwood Christian services, said the students start the day with a sack lunch from Kids Food Basket and attend two, one-hour programs, with an outdoor activity in between.

She said programs run the gamut, including story time with the Kent District Library, money management with Junior Achievement, life skills with the Kent County Health Department and the YMCA’s nutrition and exercise program and gardening project.

Zion Lutheran Church, which is near the complex, and the Girl Scouts of Michigan Shore to Shore are also partners this summer along with Wedgwood Christian Services and Arbor Circle, who also work with students during the school year.

“The level of community engagement in terms of partner participation is a testament to the strength of the program,” said Aupperlee, who works with McPherson to coordinate programming. “To see the kids that come year after year, you know its liked and needed by them and their parents.”

McPherson said a lot of the partners and ideas have emerged from Comstock Park Community Outreach, a collaboration of business, government, schools, churches and service organizations in the Comstock Park area. She said some programming is aimed at helping and supporting parents..

York Creek officials say the success they are seeing has surrounding Grand Rapids-area communities are asking to use their model to implement in their own districts.

“We support their programs and partnership programs in our loaned apartments because we see it truly benefiting the community,” said Hope Stephens, property manager at York Creek Apartments.

Aupperlee said there is interest to do more but not space or staffing capacity at this time. She said the various organizational partners offer staffing support.

York Creek officials say they are in the process of setting up an official mentoring program involving Comstock Park Public Schools, providing kids after school and summer mentoring programs year-round. They plan to pitch this program to new and current tenants.

Email: mscott2@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter at Twitter.com/GRPScotty.